Reece Blakey sprayed paint on the walls, smashed cupboards, slashed the sofa, pulled a radiator off the wall and threw food around in his ex's home

Left - Reece Blakey, who smashed up his former girlfriend's home after breaking in. Right - Tony Ash, who burgled a home in South Tyneside

A burglar who smashed up his former girlfriend’s home and sprayed paint on the walls has walked free from court.

Reece Blakey twice broke into Holly Ridley’s home while she was abroad visiting her father, causing a scene of destruction.

As well as stealing valuables worth more than £1,000, he ripped a radiator off the wall, pulled kitchen cupboard doors off, slashed the sofa, threw tins of food round the kitchen and put white and brown paint on the walls.

The 19-year-old pleaded guilty to burglary, another break-in while a woman and her son were in the house, and two other thefts.

But because he had served nine months in prison on remand awaiting sentence, he was freed on a suspended sentence.

She went abroad in September to visit her dad and her sister, Gemma, said she would keep an eye on her home.

When Gemma visited on September 5 she noticed a television was missing and police were called and found what turned out to be Blakey’s fingerprint on the window.

Eight days later Gemma went to check it again and found it had been broken into a second time and she was met with a scene of devastation.

Adam Mugliston, prosecuting, said: “A significant amount of damage was caused and there was soiling and ransacking of the property.

“It’s clear this was a victim and premises which were deliberately targeted.

“A radiator had been pulled off the wall, kitchen cupboard doors were pulled off, the sofa was overturned and had been slashed and tins of food had been thrown round the kitchen.

“White paint was on the living room walls and brown paint had been put on the bedroom walls.”

Blakey, who had taken all of his belongings, also stole the television, three mobile phones and an ipod, the total value of which was £1,180.

A few days later, on September 19, Blakey stole a bike from the foyer of Tesco, on Newcastle Road, South Shields. He claimed he was on drug Mcat at the time.

On September 25 Blakey and Tony Ash burgled the home of a woman and her teenage son on Mortimer Road, South Shields.

The woman heard a disturbance in her home but didn’t realise she had been burgled until the next morning. The thieves stole two mountain bikes, a coat and two bottles of alcohol, which were later recovered.

On October 9 Blakey stole a mobile phone from a Cash Generators store in South Tyneside after a member of staff left it charging.

Blakey, of Northcote, South Shields, pleaded guilty to three offences of burglary and two of theft and was given 21 months suspended for two years with a drug rehabilitation requirement. He was also given a restraining order banning him from contacting Gemma Ridley

Ash pleaded guilty to the burglary at Mortimer Road and also admitted stealing a man’s bag from Westoe Rugby Club on September 25. He was chased down by the victim and a passer-by, who got his belongings back. The 22-year-old, of Toward Road, Sunderland, was jailed for 12 months.

Jane Foley, for Blakey, said: “Drugs have firmly taken a grip on him but he has spent nine months in custody.”

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